Update: This procedure applies to vcenter 4.x:

This procedure describes how to collect ESX server logs when you connect the vSphere Client to vCenter.

If you have determined that the problem the customer is experiencing is not a DXi V1000 problem, instruct the customer to contact VMware technical support or their third-party hardware vendor. Advise them to collect their ESX server logs prior to contacting VMware or a third-party technial support. You can help them collect their ESX server logs if they do not know how to do so.

Use this procedure if the customer has a vCenter environment with several ESX hosts, and you need to collect multiple ESX host logs.

If the customer does not have a vCenter environment, refer to the Collecting ESX Server Logs Using the GUI topic or the Collecting ESX Server Logs Using the CLI topic, depending on whether you want to use the GUI or the CLI to collect the logs.

1. Click Start, select All Programs, and go to the VMware folder.

    

2. Under the VMware folder, select VMware vSphere Client.

    

   

    

3. In the IP address / Name field, enter the vCenter’s IP address or Host Name, as shown in the next image.

    

4. Ask the customer to log in using an account that has permission to collect logs, as shown below. This could be an administrative or user account.

    

   

    

   The vSphere Client connects to the customer’s vCenter.

    

5. In the vSphere Client, select Export > Export System Logs.

    

   

    

6. As shown at the end of this step, a window displays, in which you can select the Cluster or a specific ESX host. Quantum recommends that you select the Cluster that contains the ESX host running the DXi V1000, in order to get all host logs. This also is helpful if you are not sure which specific ESX host is running the DXi V1000.

    

   Do not select the Include information from the vCenter Server and vSphere Client box. These logs are not helpful.

    

   

    

7. As shown above, click Browse to identify where you want to export the logs.

    

   You can monitor the progress of the log collection in the Recent Task section at the bottom of the screen, as shown below.

    

   

    

8. The following Security Warning may display, due to an SSL certificate verification that VMware performs. If you receive this message, click Ignore. 

    

   

    

   As shown in the following image, the Downloading System Logs Bundles window shows the log download status for each ESX host, at the top. At the bottom, the window displays the filename, path, and folder where the logs are stored. A .tgz file is created for each ESX host.